There is an old saying that goes like this: "Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." I believe this maxim can also apply to the concept of time, because as another old adage-as cliché as it may be-says, "Time is money."  

We all know how valuable time is and with so many options to consider when choosing how to spend our time, we cannot afford to be careless. We must learn to maximize the minutes, because when we do, the hours and days really do have a way of taking care of themselves.

So then, what must we do to "maximize the minutes" of our lives? Here are a few suggestions that I have implemented into my life to help me maximize the minutes: 

To maximize, prioritize by taking time to determine who and what is most important to you. 

To maximize, strategize by having a written life strategy, which clearly defines your priorities and spells out specific goals, methods, deadlines and timetables to help you maintain your priorities.

To maximize, economize and stop wasting your most valuable resources of time today by eliminating the time-wasters that you know have literally become roadblocks to your greater success and fulfillment in life.

To maximize, verbalize your priorities, life strategies and commitments with someone whom you trust to help keep you accountable in your decision to maximize the minutes.

To maximize, utilize one of the plethora of calendars and day-keepers out there to help you maximize your time more effectively. Pick one and utilize it faithfully. It's also helpful to utilize goal-setting sheets, time sheets, 'to-do' lists and other accountability tools to keep you focused and organized.

To maximize, recognize that one of the best ways to get a jump on your day is to complete the more difficult and/or unpleasant tasks first, so that procrastination has no room in your life.

To maximize the minutes is certainly one of my personal missions, and though I must admit that I have wasted too many minutes, hours and days with trivial things that do not matter, I am more committed than ever to working diligently to assure that I do not allow the minutes to slip by without making the most of them. 

In this new year, allow me to encourage you to maximize your minutes, for then your hours and days will surely take care of themselves. And when you get to the end of the year you will be able to look back and see that not only have you maximized your time, but your life has been maximized as well!